LFinfo deteriorating??

**Sal Santamaura** · 11-Sep-2008, 19:34

Originally Posted by Brian Ellis

What could possibly tempt you to read anything in the Lounge?...

Here's how I answered that question in The Lounge this afternoon:

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...5&postcount=35

**David A. Goldfarb** · 11-Sep-2008, 19:52

I think the Lounge is a good thing.

Most relatively public forums need and have a space for people to blow off steam or socialize off topic, otherwise they do it in the main forums, unless the forums are heavily policed, and I don't think the volunteer moderators here have the time to do that kind of surveillance. If you want a photo forum with that kind of monitoring, I recommend this one--

http://www.cpiforum.com/

If all the nonsense is kept in the Lounge, then those of us who aren't interested can simply turn it off.

**Frank Petronio** · 11-Sep-2008, 19:59

I blame the deterioration of the LF Forum on George W. Bush. Had he been a better leader we'd be dancing on mountains of Tri-X and Dektol would be flowing freely from our taps.

**Greg Lockrey** · 11-Sep-2008, 20:06

Originally Posted by Frank Petronio

I blame the deterioration of the LF Forum on George W. Bush. Had he been a better leader we'd be dancing on mountains of Tri-X and Dektol would be flowing freely from our taps.

It started with Carter.

**Michael Kadillak** · 11-Sep-2008, 20:11

It is a shame that a half dozen people that have nothing better to do than continue to use the lounge as quasi therapy and as a place to try to lure people into circular arguments with their miopic views of the world. When any component of a forum (moderated or not) falls victum to nearly zero posts having anything in the world to do with LF photography or the subject of the forum, these individuals should be asked to take their show to the countless blogs where they can be among friends.

Continuing to have to use ignore protocals to not be impacted by the actions of these few people tells me that WE do not want to own this forum in its entirety.

This dialog is completely embarassing and has absolutely no worldly purpose in the world of LF. They absolutely have every right to blab about whatever they want as often as they want. There are many subjects relating to LF photography that could be discussed in the lounge, but if everyone has it on its ignore list it may as well not exist and WHAT HAVE WE COLLECTIVELY ACCOMPLISHED? How can we expect to draw new contributors when this crap is connected to the wagon? A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and we all suffer in the final iteration. A polite cease and decist as a first order of business would get this in check and we would never miss them. Hell, it might be doing them a favor to get them back as legitimate contributors of issues relating to LF photography which is the underlying primary objective.

Look at the lounge on APUG and see how things should be. Grow a pair and get these knuckleheads in check or checkmate - at their chosing.

We have already lost marvelous contributors like Sandy King from this forum for obvious reasons. It has got to stop.

Cheers!

**Brian Ellis** · 11-Sep-2008, 20:12

Originally Posted by Ralph Barker

It exists (as an experiment) because all of that "stuff" used to insinuate itself into discussions in the core forums. There are, however, on-going discussions about the matter among the moderators.

This forum seems to be pretty well policed by the moderators, I've seen any number of threads stopped and messages deleted over the years. It seems to me that anyone who wants to engage in the kind of mud slinging that went on in the Lounge last time I was there (which admittedly was a long time ago but from other messages here it doesn't sound like it's changed) can find plenty of blogs, forums, and other places in which to do it. I think it's out of place on a moderated photography forum and I think its presence demeans the entire forum.

**The Dread Pirate Robins** · 11-Sep-2008, 20:16

Originally Posted by Brian Ellis

Want to see my waterfall photographs?

I am game. URL?

**Merg Ross** · 11-Sep-2008, 20:43

Originally Posted by Brian Ellis

This forum seems to be pretty well policed by the moderators, I've seen any number of threads stopped and messages deleted over the years. It seems to me that anyone who wants to engage in the kind of mud slinging that went on in the Lounge last time I was there (which admittedly was a long time ago but from other messages here it doesn't sound like it's changed) can find plenty of blogs, forums, and other places in which to do it. I think it's out of place on a moderated photography forum and I think its presence demeans the entire forum.

I am in complete agreement with Brian.

**David A. Goldfarb** · 11-Sep-2008, 21:02

I don't think most people realize what's involved with moderating a forum while maintaining a sense that people are relatively free to post what they want within reason. If the moderators delete a post, some people will accept it and even apologize for going off topic or violating the rules, but some will complain, write abusive and sometimes threatening e-mails to the moderators and site owners, start new threads about censorship that cause more controversy and discord on the site, and then maybe they'll get banned and then rejoin under an alias and cause more trouble, and get banned again and will rejoin several times before they give up.

I think the moderators here do an excellent job, and an off topic area helps them to do it.

**Frank Petronio** · 11-Sep-2008, 21:13

Hey I'm all for sh*t-canning the lounge, it's 99% a bunch of stinking liberals anyway and they should be stifled if not shot.

But I just don't understand how the lounge affects you if you don't chose to participate? The few times I've gotten into -- for a few sessions every few months, afterwhich I leave out of exasperation -- I've been there out of my own free will and stupidity.

If you don't like it, just don't go.

I don't know any details about Sandy and the lounge, but I do know Sandy is a good contributor. But if he chooses to get embroiled in some flame war, he's an adult who can make his own decisions. It's easy enough to walk away. If the animosity pours over into the regular forums, then yes, I agree, the offending parties ought to be slapped.

All I know is that when I have been in the lounge I get railed upon by the majority, opinion-wise. But outside the lounge 99% of those same flaming pinkos are sweet as cupcakes to me when it comes to talking about photography.

The last thing we need are censoring APUG-like thought police here (exception to DG, he can't read my mind). If you want this forum to be like APUG, wouldn't it just be easier to go over to APUG?